He has ‘appeared’ in household accessories - his ‘likeness’ appeared in burned bacon fat at the bottom of a frying pan, when Toby Elles, from Salford, Lancs, burned food when he fell asleep while cooking.

He has also been 'spotted' at the Glasgow branch of Ikea, specifically in the men’s toilet of the Swedish furniture giant, although there was some debate as to whether it was actually Gandalf from Lord of the Rings.

And it would appear sightings are not confined to this planet alone, as a photo released by Nasa in September 2009 appeared to show his likeness on the surface of Mars.